Monday, December 15, 2008

Akufo-Addo appeals to aggrieved NPP supporters

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, has appealed to all aggrieved and disappointed NPP supporters who for one reason or the other, could not exercise their franchise in the December 7 elections to strive to turn out in the second round of the polls to vote massively for the Party. Addressing a press conference in Kumasi on Sunday, he said but for voter apathy on the part of some sympathizers of the NPP, the party would have chalked a landslide victory in the first round. The conference was aimed at thanking the electorate in the Ashanti Region for their continuous support for the party, which enabled the NPP to garner appreciable votes especially in the presidential race. Nana Akufo-Addo said it was important at this moment for well-meaning supporters to bury their differences and unite as one family for the progress of the party. He predicted victory for the Party in the run-off, saying as much as most Ghanaians prefer the NPP to lead the nation as it appeared in the first round, so would the second round confirm that the NPP as the most popular party in the country at the moment. "We have not let Ghanaians down in the past eight years of the NPP's administration and I am appealing to you to further show solidarity in this decisive moment, so as to enable us to continue with our good policies and programmes to benefit the nation". On the reduction of petroleum products, the NPP flagbearer indicated that it was ridiculous for any party to assume that the reduction was done for political reasons. "The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is an autonomous body whose activities were devoid of manipulation by the government," he noted, stressing that it was unreasonable for any person or group of persons to presume that the reduction or increment of petroleum products could be determined by the government for political expediency. Nana Akufo-Addo also debunked claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that they have absolute majority in Parliament, noting that the prevailing conditions as per the December 7 elections proved otherwise. "Credible information reaching the NPP and also confirmed by the Electoral Commission (EC) indicate that the NDC currently holds 113 seats as against 108 by the NPP with four seats being independent, two seats for the PNC and one for the CPP, whiles two constituencies were yet to be determined by the EC", he said. He told Ghanaians to be wary of attempts by the NDC to propagate lies ahead of the December 28 elections, and that such lies were calculated to deceive Ghanaians, so as to give the NDC an upper hand. He said the NPP has re-strategised its campaign for the second round and that the leadership would this time move to the grassroots to enlighten the electorate on the need to return the Party to power.GNA